In patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), topical corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment; however, a long-term use can lead to numerous side effects including skin atrophy. Recently, topical tacrolimus has been suggested to be effective in patients with different manifestations of CLE as single or additive therapy. Its anti-inflammatory effect can be explained by inhibition of calcineurin and suppression of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukins-2, -3, -4, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and tumour necrosis factor alpha. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus in 30 patients with different forms of CLE (ACLE, SCLE, DLE, LET). During a period of 3 months tacrolimus ointment and its placebo are applied on two separate skin lesions. Clinical follow-up examinations including photo documentation are performed every 4 weeks.